U.S condemns Chinese court's sentence for Canadian Spavor in espionage case
BEIJING, Aug 11 (Reuters) - The United States embassy in Beijing said it condemns a Chinese court sentencing Canadian businessman Michael Spavor to 11 years in prison for espionage, in a case seen in Ottawa and Washington as part of a wider diplomatic spat with Beijing.
Spavor and another detained Canadian Michael Kovrig should be released immediately, according to a statement from an embassy official.
Proceedings against the Canadians are an attempt to "use human beings as bargaining leverage," said the statement.
Spavor's sentencing comes as lawyers in Canada representing the chief financial officer of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei make a final push to convince a court there not to extradite her to the United States. (Reporting by Yew Lun Tian and Gabriel Crossley; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
